Family Matters (1989): 15 Weird Facts You Didn’t Know!
This one ran into a little copyright business and, somewhere in Chicago, we swear we heard Urkel ask, “Did I do that?” We cleaned up the edit and brought it back from the Remember When vault. Thanks for watching again, or discovering it for the first time.
#rememberwhen Jaleel White turned a one-episode appearance into a main character named Steve Urkel. Family Matters gave us Carl’s exasperated sighs, Laura’s infinite patience, and an entire generation of TGIF kids wondering what happened to Judy Winslow.
Family Matters (1989): 15 Weird Facts You Didn’t Know
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:13 – 15: Steve Urkel Was Supposed to Appear in Just One Episode — Jaleel White
03:04 – 14: Steve Urkel Was Named After a Real Person — Michael Warren
04:19 – 13: Jaleel White Almost Played Rudy on The Cosby Show — Jaleel White
05:46 – 12: Judy Winslow Vanished and the Show Pretended She Never Existed — Jaimee Foxworth
07:13 – 11: The Final Season Recast Harriet and Almost Ended With an Urkel Wedding — Jo Marie Payton
08:51 – 10: The Winslow House Became a Revolving Door of Family and Friends — Reginald VelJohnson
10:59 – 9: Reginald VelJohnson Appeared in Every Single Episode — Reginald VelJohnson
11:50 – 8: Family Matters Was a Spinoff of Perfect Strangers — Jo Marie Payton
13:25 – 7: Family Matters Helped Define ABC’s TGIF Era — Jaleel White
14:56 – 6: Laura Winslow Was the Teen Lead Before Urkel Took Over — Kellie Shanygne Williams
16:43 – 5: Urkelbot Was Played by a Breakdancing Legend — Michael Chambers
18:15 – 4: Steve Urkel Turned the BMW Isetta Into a Sitcom Icon — Jaleel White
19:24 – 3: Family Matters Originally Had a Completely Different Theme Song — Jesse Frederick
20:28 – 2: Jaleel White Had to Hide Puberty to Keep Urkel Looking the Same — Jaleel White
22:17 – 1: “Did I Do That?” Was Never Planned as Urkel’s Catchphrase — Jaleel White
Watch more ’90s Sitcom Deep Dives here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZTUGHHqdh6OxPqp3M0P1Q5DXSKME9ap
#FamilyMatters #SteveUrkel #JaleelWhite #ReginaldVelJohnson #JoMariePayton #90sSitcoms #TGIF #ClassicTV #DidIDoThat #TVTrivia #RetroTV #RememberWhen #tvnostalgia
@kittykat8110
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Def not what i was excepting yall would post on Halloween
@ericsills6484
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Pull string dolls don't have batteries
@ClayCarter757
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Nine seasons. That is surprising.
@danbehling7345
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
We almost forgot it was called Family Matters. We called it the Urkel show.
@NorineKr1962
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Has Mr. Belvedere been covered?
@wstine79
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
They say that poor Judy Winslow is still up in her room and never came back down those stairs.
@coupdeforce
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Family matters unless you're the youngest kid in the immediate family and one day your aunt shows up with a younger kid to do all the youngest kid stuff.
@COMPFUNK2
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
In real life, Darius McCrary, Kellie Williams and Jaleel White are all the same age.
@COMPFUNK2
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
5:11 — In 1984 (the year the Cosby Show debuted), Jaleel White wasn’t 12; he was 7 or 8.
@COMPFUNK2
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Before people complain about this in the comments, this is likely a re-upload due to copyright reasons.
@markwilliams4-m
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Steve Urkl was on three episodes before he stayed for good. One where Carl was making a 🍨. And when Steve used Grandma Winslow bathtub with his pet Duck. And finally Laura's big date.
@tonetrip_
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
None of that was racist. It's only stereotypes. Self entitled people with nothing better to do will look for things to be outraged over.
@Makoto03
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Great video on Family Matters. I loved TGIF and Family Matters was one of my favorite shows on that block.
I'll be honest and admit i didn't even notice Judy disappearance watching the show as a kid.
I didn't watch the later seasons when it moved to another network though, since i was firmly in the TGIF camp and loved that block more than any individual show.
@JustinEvitable80
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Before Family Matters, Jaleel White was originally one of the Toys 'r' Us kids from the commercials.
@robertk1049
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Imagine Urkel on the Cosby Show… "Hey big guy, what are you doing with all those quaaludes?"
@davidpumpkinsjr.5108
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
I loved the grandmother, Estelle. She had that Golden Girls-style snark while also projecting tremendous warmth.
@isaacheres1354
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
17:47 Bill &Ted's Bogus *Journey. Not Adventure
@jenniferstine8567
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
When Urkyll showed up on Scooby-Doo and Guess Who I was cringing and suppressing my temper, badly. I asked my mum, "How did we even like this show?" Her answer was that the 90s were a different time. BTW, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up" was one of his catchphrases. Characters like Urkell I feel gave people a warped understanding of love. It's very clear that Laura doesn't want to date him. The show plays it as endearing and that it's romantic. Yeah, it's harassment. Throughout it's run she concedes basically because "he deserves a win." He also brought about extreme injuries, that magically heal by the next episode. If we erase the wanton damages, and possible trespassing, the fallout would result in Urkell in severe legal trouble. Not to mention that in one episode he admits to having his own key. To get a key he would have to steal one, make a copy, check the copy against the lock, possibly get a working replacement, and then return the key without anyone noticing. The father is a cop, and he doesn't even act like laws get broken.
Why does he ask for cheese as if it turns him on? Get your own cheese you creep. The jerk made a perfectly fine food incredibly creepy.
My final beef, he made suspenders unappealing. People with my shape find belts very uncomfortable. Suspenders are the best alternative unless you want to walk around holding your clothes. You really don't want to be compared to Urkell. If you're geeky or nerdy, you'll run the risk. Although, some people look good while wearing them.
@TerrickTerran
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
Shame that the actress who played Myra died so young. I always preferred her to Laura. By the end, almost everyone was gone.
@swars5924
November 1, 2026 at 1:56 am
First!
Did I do that?